“That isn’t a vessel,” said Rose,
with a worried look on her face. “That’s
the bell of the shoal buoy. We are quite a way
out to sea!”

“And lost in the fog,” added Nellie.

CHAPTER XVI

Ontherocks

With a quick motion Jerry shut off the power, and
the Ripper drifted through the mist, slowly losing
headway. The sound of the bell became more distinct,
and in a little while something dark loomed up before
the anxious eyes of the boys and girls.

“Lookout! She’s going to hit!”
cried Ned.

“That’s the buoy,” declared Nellie.

“What’s its location?” asked Jerry.
“Can’t we get our bearings from it?”

“Well, it’s about eight miles off shore,
I’ve heard the fishermen say,” replied
Nellie, “and it’s about four miles down
the coast from San Felicity.”

“It doesn’t seem as if we came as far
as that,” said Bob.

“This is a very fast boat,” commented
Rose.

“Is the buoy anchored to rocks?” asked
Ned.

“No, it’s on a dangerous shoal,”
answered Olivia “But there is no harm from that
source to be feared to this boat, as it doesn’t
draw much water.”

“It ought to be easy enough to start in the
right direction for San Felicity, with this buoy to
guide us,” suggested Bob. “Can’t
you, Jerry.”

“I guess so, if you think it will be safe to
travel in the fog.”

“No, don’t,” urged Nellie.
“I’m afraid we might have a collision.
I don’t know much about this bay, and there
are dangerous places in it, I’ve heard the fishermen
say. We had better stay here until the fog lifts.”

“That’s what I think,” agreed Rose
and Olivia.

Bob and Ned, however, were for going on, but Jerry
rather sided with the girls.

“Well,” he finally said, in answer to
the urging of his two chums, “Which way would
you say the dock was, Ned?”